Filch's Past, Present and Future
by tonksdotcom
Summary: We find out a small part of how Filch came to be who he was...


"That's all you'll ever be! A Muggle! Nothing but a muggle!"

The words echoed in the young man's head as he sat by the river crying. Growing up in a magic family, it was taken for granted that he would make it into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the best magic school in Britain. However, things had turned out different from what he expected when he opened the letter from Professor Minerva McGonagall, which she had apparently regretted sending. Why send the stupid letter then? All these thoughts swirled in Argus's head before a stern voice interrupted him.

"What are you doing outside, boy? Crying like a girl, it's no wonder even Hogwarts didn't accept you. Stop the tears, that's not going to change anything. Get inside."

Argus met his father's face with a frightened one, only daring to look away as soon as his father started walking to their house. Making sure to keep a good few metres behind him, Argus followed him home.

Ever since his mother died two years ago, the gruff but loving man he had once recognised as his father had disappeared. In its place was a cruel master, the result of grief, heartache and bottled feelings. Going only to work at the Ministry of Magic and then coming home to emotionally abuse the boy before repeating the cycle the next day, Nolan Filch was a hated and loved man to his son. At first, Argus could understand some of the reasons why his father was the way he was, but as he got older, he started to resent it. Fight back even. However, with the rejection from Hogwarts, his world came crashing down around him. With a muggle school being completely out of the question, Argus would have to stay at home, his education being completely at the mercy of his father. Knowing that Nolan Filch spent a lot of his hours at work or sleeping, Argus faced a bleak future with no friends and no education.

Years later, Argus had settled into the familiar routine of cleaning the house in the morning, going to the market to collect dinner for the evening and then spending his time by the river. Ofttimes he would watch the muggle kids wistfully, wishing he could be accepted but with the strange happenings surrounding the Filch household guaranteed that any _normal _person stayed away from the boy and his father. It hurt. It really did. But those who are helpless often find themselves moving on from a situation that is seemingly impossible to change, and such was the case with Argus. Getting up, he stood to look again after the group of kids before SMACK! Spluttering water from the river he just landed in, he brushed his hair aside to take a look at the brute that had knocked him over. He was surprised to see that instead, it was a girl of about the same age, who was rubbing at a very stubborn stain that refused to budge. Surprise turned to anger as he started yelling at her, telling her what a stupid, clumsy muggle she was before clapping a hand over his mouth. The girl looked at Argus for a second, before she burst out laughing. "Muggle? What on earth is a 'muggle'? I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where I was going, but if you're going to reprimand me, you ought to use better words. Such a strange boy you are!", all said with a mischievous grin on her face. Argus started. This girl thought she could just come here, knock him over and then laugh at him? He would show her, he thought. Just as he opened his mouth to start yelling at her again, she shocked him by asking if he could show her around the village. "I'm new here and I don't know anyone, but since you're such a kind boy, I think you'd do a wonderful job of showing me around", she simpered sweetly. Argus was struck. What kind, he did not know, but he knew that he wanted to stay with this girl for as long as he could.

Their friendship grew through the Summer, and for Argus, so did his love. He had never been smitten as he was with Ruth, and he thought that he could possibly marry her one day.  
"Argus, what are you thinking about now?", Ruth asked with concern. She had noticed that he had become quiet over the last few days and she didn't know what to do about it.

"It's okay, Ruthie, just thinking about chores that I think I might have forgotten to do."

"Silly Argus, forget the chores, come have fun!"

Laughing, he ran after her in a game of chase-and-catch. As long as he had his best friend, everything would be okay. For now. Unfortunately, life does not leave one too long in a period of quiet and content.

While Argus spent his summer enjoying time with Ruth, Nolan's heartbreak and grief was finally catching up with him. Hearing his son's laugh and seeing the smile which reminded him so much of his late wife made their memories more vivid, and yet more painful. Sitting at home after work one day, he pondered his own mortality in the quiet, before it was broken with a scream. Scrambling from his chair, he rushed to the river where the noise came from and saw his son's friend Ruth covered in blood.

"She fell on the rocks! Help her, Dad! HELP HER!"

Tripping over the rocks, he rushed over to the two teenagers. As he reached them, he saw the damage that had been done.

"Son, I can't do anything. She's…The damage is too much. No magic can save this amount of damage."

Argus made a sound that would have made a lion run. He had never known such grief, not even when his mother had died. Looking wildly around, he spotted a stoat lurking nearby. His mind suddenly formed a plan. Taking deep breaths, he finally spoke.

"Dad, I need your magic. I have never asked you for anything from it, but I need it now. Turn Ruth into a cat and take her to an animal doctor. Can you grant me this one wish? I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate and you know this."

Nolan looked at his son, and saw his wife's same sad eyes that had become her in her final days. Looking away, he gruffly replied,

"You are asking me to take this woman away from her family and to perform a magic expressly forbidden by the Ministry of Magic. If I do this, the secret dies with us both. I will have to obliviate her family and friends to erase all memories of her existence and Ruth Watson will be no more. Do you understand what you are asking me?"

"I do."

"Let it be done."

Argus cried as he saw his best friend and first love's body slowly change into that of a cat. He had loved that girl and would have married her if fate had been kind to him for once in his life. Later that day, as the father, son and cat exited the local animal doctor's house, Nolan looked at his son.

"Argus, what will you name her?"

Argus looked shyly at his dad, before looking down at the sleeping tabby. "I could have married her one day, you know. I would like to name her Mrs. Filch, for the Ruthie and future I lost."

"Don't be silly, son. People will laugh. Why don't you use your mother's family name? That name was as good as any.", Nolan said, not unkindly.

Argus beamed at his father, for the first time in years.

"That sounds perfect, Dad. I will call her, Mrs. Norris."


End file.
